


And The Blood Will Dry

by YourFirstLastKiss



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Post-Avengers, Throki-relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 16:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourFirstLastKiss/pseuds/YourFirstLastKiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the incident in New York, Loki is sentenced to death. Thor thinks there's another way and goes to confront his brother about a clever plan but finds he can't muster up the courage to tell his younger brother that he's going to die when the sun rises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Blood Will Dry

It happened all too soon.

Loki had only been imprisoned for a month before his death was decided, Odin tried to justify that he was too dangerous even in a cell. Thor pleaded with his father, “Take his magic away.” That was the only solution he could think of. Make him mortal, he could do no harm that way. But his father’s decision was final, the damage done on Midgard was far more devastating than any of the gods could imagine. It would take years for the humans to rebuild the flattened city of New York, not to mention the mourning period they would go through. All of the people who were slaughtered could never be brought back; they were taken mercilessly with no hope of surviving. But they had little chance against Loki, God of Mischief.

Thor had gone to Loki’s cell to confront him about some clever plan to keep him alive. But he knew his brother couldn’t answer unless he entered the cell, which even if Loki was bound, it was still risky. The guards standing watch let him in reluctantly and argued about leaving them alone, but Thor gave them the order to leave them into the hall. They left with a heavy sigh, eyeing the golden prince as the heavy door slammed shut.

Loki’s head lifted so that his ears could search the sound of who ever dared enter his cell. It was rare for visitors to venture to his private tower; even Odin didn’t dare coming close to his prison. He stayed still so the chains wouldn’t obscure his hearing. If it weren’t for the damned metal blind fold covering his eyes, he would have been able to curse the person easier.

“Brother.” Thor said as the magic barrier disappeared, stepping over the threshold before it shot back up, it’s crystal formation giving off Thor’s reflection. He waited for a moment until heard a muffled chuckle and rattling of chains. He turned back to the dark haired man on the floor.

Loki’s wrists were held high above his head by the shackles that spouted from the roof. A collar rested around his neck, the chain bolted to the floor. It made his body lean forward awkwardly and his chest puff out slightly. Even bound by chains he was full of pride. If only he knew what he really looked like, bruised and battered skin replaced the once porcelain skin that he was known for. Blood trailed down from all his bindings showing that he obviously struggled full-heartedly at some point in time. And from how fresh some of his wounds were, it was probable that the guards had their fun with him as they stripped him of his armor. He was left in just his pants and boots, although the once extravagant leather was now dulled and starting to tear open, revealing the man’s bloodied knees.

Thor bent down and began working the intricate locks that were displayed on the outside of Loki’s muzzle. He didn’t think that Loki deserved this harsh of punishment, he was still a prince for Odin’s sake. He deserved to be treated like one. Once the lock clicked open, Thor made sure to pull it away slowly, the crusted saliva and blood crunched lightly as he tugged. Loki opened his sore jaw so the mouth piece he was forced to bite down on slipped out easily. The young man took heavy breaths as his mouth received fresh air for the first time since he was captured on Midgard. It was almost sinful how good it felt to have air hit his tongue. He still couldn’t see, but he knew his brother was still sitting in front of him if only his pride would allow him to give thanks. He knew it would never happen though, as much as it pained him deep down inside.

“What do you want, Thor?” His voice was hoarse, much lower and less striking than it used to be.

The corner of Thor’s lips turned down, he never wanted his brother to turn out this way. Why couldn’t his father see that he was sick? But even if Loki tried to hide it, he could see the fear emanating off of him. But he wasn’t about to take the blind fold off to see what his eyes held. The barrier’s reflection was a powerful thing and no matter how much wrong Loki had done, he didn’t deserve to see himself the way he was.

He ran a large hand through Loki’s greasy, black hair, arousing a startled jolt from the other man. He parted his lips to protest but nothing seemed to come out. The thunderer let his finger tips gently fall down his brother’s jaw line until he reached his cracked lips. There was something missing in his brother. He used to be so full of life and wonder, but now there was nothing but bitterness and resentment.

“Thor?” Loki said with more curiosity to his tone. He wanted to turn his head away so that their skin wasn’t in contact, but his body turned against him and pushed further into his hand. He yearned to be comforted for days now but no one would come to his aid. And now his support was here, his unconditional support. No matter what he seemed to do, Thor always forgave him. No matter what it was, they were always there to help each other through it. But this time, there was no way to get out of it.

Thor leaned foreword and pressed his lips to the dark haired man’s forehead. He couldn’t tell his brother what was awaiting him when the sun broke over the clouds. But it seemed to appear that Loki already knew. The fight was gone from his brother, the end was near and he seemed to accept it.

Even if Loki’s eyes were covered, Thor didn’t want him to notice that he was crying. He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the other’s and closed his eyes. He felt Loki give a few nervous twitches before he settled back down. “I’ll stay with you until the end, brother.” Thor said as he gripped Loki’s face tighter “I won’t abandon you again.”

Loki’s breath hitched as he listened to Thor. It was only at that moment when he knew that Odin’s decision was decided. He had tried his best to prove that he was worthy enough to be a good king, yet it wasn’t enough to prove his worth. He was expendable. But Thor always outshined him in everything, and he had come to terms with it. “Thor,” He said again, lifting his head slightly so that they weren’t touching anymore, “It’ll be alright.” He could feel more tears falling against his skin; he stilled his body as he tried to think of a way to stop his brother’s tears. As children, he was the one to cry over trivial reasons and Thor would always come in and stop him from crying. If only his hands were unchained he could do better to make the situation lighter. He didn’t want to dwell on his fate all night long. He found it odd that he was going to die yet he had to think of ways to console his brother. It made him chuckle but he pushed it down so it wouldn’t make his brother even more upset. He sighed and dropped his head as much as he could, “Stay with me, until morning?”

Thor of course agreed, he was planning on staying even if Loki wanted to be alone. So he ordered the guards to fetch him a bowl of water and some cloth. He would make sure his brother was at least worthy of being called a prince by morning. Once it arrived and the guards left once again, he dipped the cloth in the water and began wiping away the grime on his brother’s body. He attempted to wash his black hair but with his neck chained to the ground, the water ended up spilling all over their bodies. Thor laughed and Loki simply smiled as his hair covered the blind fold. He could feel his hair out of place but he wasn’t in the mood to argue. But Thor began to fix it right away, pushing it back behind his ears and away from his face.

Loki tugged on his hands restraints to pull him up lightly, “Thor, take the mask off.” It made the blonde stop and look at Loki, his stern face telling him that he was serious. “Please. If I die tomorrow and the last thing I see is this metal covering when I know I could have seen my brother it will make my soul uneasy for all eternity.” Loki said straining to look where he thought Thor was. Thor paused for a moment, thinking of what harm could come of it. And when he thought of none, he reached up and undid the buckles that were fasted on the back of Loki’s head. The metal clanged against the ground as Loki’s green eyes adjusted to the dim light. When he finally found Thor’s eyes, he smiled lightly, his ride still not allowing him to say thank you. But the man’s smile was all Thor needed. He gave a small head bow to show his understanding before taking up the damp cloth once again to clean around his brother’s uncovered face.

After getting Loki cleaned up, he seemed somewhat healthier. He still had cuts and bruises but they were no longer covered in dry blood or dirt. His skin remained pale but it had more shine to it. Loki’s eyes stayed looking down as Thor rocked back to sit across from him. He was still ashamed that he had to be slung up like he was, but it was his own fault. He looked to the small window that revealed the outside world; it was only a sliver of space one could fit an arm through. He expected stars and moonlight to be peaking through the small slot, but instead he found burnt oranges and vibrant purples leaping across the horizon.

Thor noticed his brother’s attention was grabbed by something, and he looked in the direction Loki was, noticing the sunrise. His head dropped but he felt Loki’s nose nudging against his scalp softly. It was a selfish thing to be so scared for his brother when he didn’t seem to show any fear for himself. Loki had always been strong but then again he was good at lying. He looked up and Loki had a smile on his face, but he could tell it was fake by the way his eyes were beginning to tear up. He parted his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he gave up and looked away again. He took a deep breath and held his head high, like the king he claimed to be. Thor reached out and brushed the other man’s cheek, feeling a faint wetness hit his thumb. “Loki” he said but was cut off by the quick turn of Loki’s head.

“Don’t.” Loki said sharply, “Don’t tell me good bye. It’ll only make it harder on me.” He was biting his lip in order to stop the tears that were falling down his chiseled cheeks. He took a shaky breath before he spoke again, “Just distract me until they come for me.”

Thor turned Loki’s face back towards him and pressed their lips together tightly. Loki stiffened for a moment, shocked at the method Thor chose, but after a moment, his eyes slowly closed and leaned into the kiss. Their tongues lapped at each other as their teeth tried to avoid colliding with the other’s. When they heard a clicking sound come from the door, they made their kissing more frantic until they heard the foot steps only inches away. That was when Loki broke away, it didn’t matter if he was caught, but Thor was next in line to the throne. He had to keep up his appearances.

As the barrier faded, the brothers kept their gaze on each other, their chest heaving in anticipation. They didn’t want to look away in fear that one of them would break down and Thor knew how close Loki was to loosing him composure. The guards slung the blind fold back over Loki’s panicked, green eyes. Thor reached out and set a hand on his thigh “I’m here Loki, I’m here.”

“Thor, I-“ The muzzle was placed back over his mouth and his voice was cut off. Thor shut his eyes, not being able to handle the rest of his unchaining. His arms dropped and a groan echoing from behind the muzzle, his muscles were so used to being in one position that his muscles seemed to accept that that’s where they were going to stay. He wanted to reach for Thor but he knew that would be a horrible idea and would only turn into more punishment. The unlocked the collar and let it fall to the ground before pulling him up. His spine screamed in protest but Loki tried to keep in any sounds in case the guards gained any joy in his pain.

“Are all of those covering really required?” Loki heard Thor ask as he felt his wrists be locked together.

“The Allfather doesn’t want to risk him casting any spells, your highness.” The guard said meekly. They were all afraid of how Thor would react, but they were under order. So Loki stood as tall as he could before taking a deep breath. He was ready for this.

The guards tugged on the chains connected to Loki’s wrist, causing him to stumble lightly, but he quickly regained his position. Thor followed closely behind two guards how tailed his brother. He was being treated like the war criminal everyone saw him as. He still felt it wasn’t right but the closer they descended down the tower steps; he realized how powerless he truly was. He always promised Loki that he would get him out of any kind of trouble no matter how big it was; but there was no escaping this.

They made their way to the platform specifically made for this event. Of course it was a public execution, he was a prince and no one would believe he was dead if it wasn’t public. But it also served as a reminder to the other gods to know their place. And as they passed all of the on lookers, he could tell they all understood their fate would be the same.

Loki was pushed down to his knees, he was facing the crowd even if he couldn’t see them, he could feel their stares. The guards slowly retreated and Thor took his place next to his mother. Tears were falling down her faces as she reached for Thor, her thin arms wrapping around her son tightly. He had to be strong for her; she was already loosing one son. He looked to his father who was standing coldly still, his one eye watching Loki blankly. Deep down Thor knew his father had a reason for this. Just like Frigga told him before, he has reason for decision he makes. But sadly he could not see it in this one.

The executioner stated Loki’s crimes before looking to Odin for the command; all was needed was a simple head nod. Thor watched as the man picked u the large ax in his hands and walked over to where Loki was kneeling.

Thor stood to the side of where it was taking place, making sure he could see Loki’s profile. His chest was heaving slightly, but from what he could see of his face, he was calm. He even arched his chin back a bit so that it would be quick and he wouldn’t suffer at all. Thor felt his mother’s grip tighten but she couldn’t look away as the ax was raised, but neither could he. He wanted the image of his brother basking in the sunlight to last a little longer.

But it was quickly ruined by crimson blood shooting out from Loki’s neck. There was no sound that came from him as it happened; he went down like a king would. Thor squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn’t have to watch his brother’s headless body fall to the ground. He didn’t want to hear the thump it made, he didn’t want to see the crowds reaction, none of it.

 

_Brother?_

His eyes softened, but didn’t open; he knew his mind was playing tricks on him.

_Thor! You better not be ignoring me, you oaf!_

After a blow to his arm, his eyes shot open and his body sprang forward. Ruffling of fabric invaded his ears as he tried to grasp what was happening. He was in his room which was dark but light shot through when the curtains opened. He turned and looked and saw his brother standing there. He was dressed in his armor and his hair cut short so that it was barely lifted off his shoulders. Loki rushed back to the bed, his dark green cape following as he walked.

“It’s your big day and all you can do is sleep. Really brother, father is swearing you in and here you are sleeping until an hour before the event! How very unlike you.” He tossed the silver armor onto the bed near Thor’s feet. He then crossed his arms and turned back to his brother, whose blue eyes were still starting at him. Loki touched his face lightly before looking over his outfit. “What?”

Thor stood up, letting the furs fall back onto the bed. He stepped close to his brother and examined his neck, even if it was difficult with his coats high, golden neck line. Once he noted that Loki was alright, he caught his brother in a bone crushing hug, a small “oof” leaving Loki’s lips. Thor held the squirming god tightly, not willing to let go. “You have to promise that you’ll never leave my side, Loki” he said leaning his head up so that they could look at each other, “Ever. You are bound to my side, do you hear me?”

Loki pushed away and smoothed his clothes out before raising a brow “You must have had some sort of nightmare again, brother.” Loki said before turning towards the door to leave, “Make sure you eat something before you come. You look quite peakish.”

 

“You will be there for the ceremony won’t you?” Thor said frantically.

“Of course.” Loki said, his lips turning into a coy smile, “But please take care of your self Thor. You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I said I was going to continue this but there really was nothing I can do with it. I thought of all the options and just didn't want to continue with it because I wasn't going to in the first place. I thank everyone for their encouragement to keep this going and all your wonderful ideas. But I just can't continue with this, which is why I'm making it just one chapter again. Thank you all. 
> 
> ~Lala


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